Written by Lyle Charles
Consultants can benefit a project by providing knowledge, experience and a professional network that a project may not possess. However, the best consultants are those that easily become part of the project and its employees. Here are some tips to look for in a great consultant.
Flexibility – Consultants need to be able to adapt easily to new projects, work cultures and colleagues. Therefore, when hiring keep an eye out for good communication skills and other soft skills that are similar to what you look for when hiring your employees.
Disciplined – Consultants should be problem solvers, that meet strict deadlines. It is best to look for a consultant who clearly highlights how they intend to manage your projects and how this process...

Written by Lyle Charles
Most construction contracts will have terms that include deadlines and delays. However, the most important deadline is the substantial completion deadline. This deadline, when reached, gives the owner the right to rent, sell, work or live at the construction site/project.
This deadline is also important as it is linked to satisfying obligations to third parties, such as local government requirements for completion by a specified date. Here are some tips that will help construction companies improve their construction claims management processes and meet this deadline.
Identifying the deadline – You should make a note of the deadline, either from the start of the project or from the start of completion of a specific event. If you use the...

Written by Lyle Charles
If your company is faced with extreme challenges and the management feels that the company needs outside assistance to get back on track, it is a good idea to consider reaching out to a company offers construction and turnaround services.
Construction specialist will assist a company in many areas of construction including construction claims management, setting industry-specific construction standards and assisting in mediation and disputes. In some cases, consultants are experienced enough to replace the current CEO to help a company get reorganized. Company’s who enlist such services will benefit from objectivity that a specialist brings.
Here are a few areas to consider when looking at selecting a potential turnaround specialist;
The...

Commercial construction projects are often a lot more complex than residential ones and are thus more likely to run into problems. However, there are ways to increase the chances that your construction project will be fully completed without any disputes or other issues. Lyle Charles Consulting provides various services to the parties involved in commercial projects, and these are some of the techniques they use to overcome common challenges in the construction industry.
One example is interim short term management services, which allows a company to have a specialized management team in place in as little as a few days. Interim managers can provide the necessary skills, knowledge and experience to help a project move in the right direction and solve issues common...

What if your construction company had a sudden crisis, such as a key manager leaving suddenly, a death or injury, or other sudden changes that negatively affected your project plans? Interim short term management services for construction projects have been utilized for decades for just these types of situations. Its major benefit is that you can have experienced construction managers brought in during these emergency situations, all within just days if necessary. The company can promptly hire the appropriate specialist that is needed for the specific problems that are being encountered.
If you went the hiring route, it could take months to find the right person and your project could be stalled or suffer tremendously. And, according to Lyle Charles, new hires may...

When you think about down payments for a home loan you should consider that the lower your down payment is, the more it will cost you in the long run. Is it worth putting down a low down payment? Find out below.
Putting down a low down payment costs you more because of the interest accrued throughout the years of the loan. Not only will you have to cover the principal of the loan but the actual interest as well. In the long run, you could be looking at spending tens of thousands purely based off of interest.
Today’s interest rates are low which is appealing to many home buyers. Factor in insurance premiums for down payments less than 20% of the loan, and the whole excitement of hearing the words “low interest” goes down the drain.
You have two different...